Ch-22 New Neighbours.

"Let's go back first."

Two and a half days had passed since he entered the space-time gate. Though he still had enough supplies, staying missing in the real world for too long might cause trouble.

He found a secluded place and opened the space-time gate.

~Swoosh!~

The gate appeared and Ryan stepped through without hesitation.

For a moment he was disoriented. When he regained his senses, he was already in his familiar room.

Ryan leaned back and fell straight onto the bed.

"So much more comfortable at home," he murmured.

After a short nap, Ryan went to the kitchen and cooked two steaks. He had planned to relax after dinner when a sudden knock at the door interrupted him.

"Who is it?"

Ryan frowned as he looked up at the dim sky outside. It was unusual for someone to visit at this hour.

He opened the door and was greeted by three figures.

A middle-aged couple stood before him, accompanied by a young girl. The man appeared tall and thin, dressed in a neat uniform that suggested a high-paying profession, such as a doctor or lawyer.

The woman was wearing a loose, comfortable outfit, perfect for lounging around the house. Her long golden hair was styled in casual waves.

She had a curvy but proportionate figure, with a good pair of shapely legs and extremely fair, white skin. Although she wore no makeup, her natural beauty still shone through, easily earning her an 8 out of 10.

In the absence of fancy interior decor, the natural shape of her ample breasts fell into a distinct hourglass silhouette. Overall, she looked like a typical, unassuming housewife from a rural American town.

The little girl, dressed in an adorable white dress, appeared to be no more than seven years old.

Ryan studied her briefly before asking, "What do you want?"

The man smiled warmly. "Hello, we're your new neighbors. We just moved in today and brought a little gift to introduce ourselves."

The woman chimed in, "I'm Vanessa, and this is my husband, William."

"Ryan," Ryan replied curtly, nodding as he accepted the gift.

He then offered, "Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

Vanessa shook her head with a polite smile. "No, thank you. We still have other neighbors to visit. But if you have time, you are welcome to stop by our new home."

As the enthusiastic couple left, Ryan couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

The houses nearby were already occupied. Where had these new neighbors come from?

His gaze drifted to the only possible option a three-story mansion.

It was a classic European-style mansion with a private courtyard and swimming pool. Although the property had been neglected and looked a bit run-down, its elegance was undeniable.

However, the house was notorious as a haunted house.

In just three years, the mansion had changed hands three times. At least four or five people were known to have died there.

The house had hundreds of years of history, and who knew how many others had perished within its walls.

Police investigations into the deaths had all concluded that they were accidents. But to the neighbors, it was clear that the house was cursed, haunted by malevolent spirits.

In the past, Ryan, a staunch materialist, would have dismissed such notions as superstition. But after his encounter with the werewolves, he wasn't so sure.

If werewolves could exist, why not evil spirits?

Back inside, Ryan examined the gift in his hand.

He wasn't particularly fond of socializing with strangers, but since his neighbors had extended an olive branch, it felt impolite not to return it.

"What should I prepare?" he wondered.

Traditionally, gifts such as homemade snacks would be appropriate, but he had no experience making such things.

His thoughts shifted back to the Haunted House.

Among the potion recipes he had recently mastered was one for summoning and banishing spirits. It seemed relatively easy to make.

Fortunately, he already had the necessary ingredients in his portable space, thanks to the supplies he'd taken from the old witch.

"Wormwood, garlic, lemon, and a few drops of holy water..."

Most of the ingredients were common enough. The only tricky one was the holy water.

Holy water was essentially water kept in a consecrated silver vessel used for prayer and baptism in a church. It was believed to contain divine power that could repel evil spirits.

Ordinary churches typically didn't keep true holy water on hand, but larger, more established institutions did.

That wasn't a problem for Ryan.

He pulled out his cross necklace and soaked it in water. The necklace, a blessed silver magical artifact, transformed the water into real holy water.

"That should do it," Ryan muttered as he began to prepare some protective amulets to give to his new neighbors.